Free Letter - District Court of Delaware - Delaware

Case 1 :05-cv-00859-GI\/IS Document 9 Filed O1/20/2006 Page 1 of 2
Youue CONAWAY STARGATT & TAYLOR, LLP
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DIRECT FAR: (302) 576-3334
[email protected]
January 20, 2006
BY CM/ECF
The Honorable Gregory M. Sleet
United States District Court
844 King Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
Re: ACM Properties, Inc. v. The Ameris Group LLC. C.A. No. 05-859-GMS
Dear Judge Sleet:
I write on behalf of plaintiff ACM Properties, Inc. in response to defendant’s letter
requesting 30 more days to answer the complaint so that it could find counsel. The answer was V
originally due on January 3, 2006 and, after no answer was filed and no request for an extension was
sought, the Court entered an order directing defendant to answer on or before January 18, 2006 (D.I.
7).
This is an action for cyberpiracy, trademark iniingement, and similar claims. Plaintiff is the
owner ofthe AMERUS family of federally registered trademarks, which are used in commerce by
plaintiffs affiliates, including AmerUs Life Insurance Company ("AmerUs Life") in the State of
Delaware. Defendant is using the confusingly similar AMERIS designation for products and
services marketed by AmerUs Life. In fact, defendant’s President and CEO, Ronald Elick, at one
time was an independent agent of AmerUs Life, and we believe defendant began its trademark
infringement at or around the time Mr. Elick’s affiliation with AmerUs Life began. We are seeking
an injunction against defendant’s continued use ofthe AMERIS designation. -
Because defendant’s use of plaintiff s trademarks is likely to be causing confusion about the
source of defendant’s insurance products and services, there is some urgency in moving the case
along. Thus, while we are not opposed in the abstract to a shoit extension beyond the two weeks
already provided in the Cou1t’s January l0, 2006, order (D.I. 7) to enable defendant to find counsel,
we are not agreeable to any extension that delays prompt action in the case. We note in this regard
DB02:5152878.1 0648211001

Case 1:05-cv-00859-Gl\/IS Document 9 Filed O1/20/2006 Page 2 of 2
Yoimo CoNAwAY STARGATT & TAYLOR, LLP
The Honorable Gregory M. Sleet
January 20, 2005
Page 2
that we were contacted last week by a lawyer representing defendant to talk about a non-litigation
resolution ofthe case. ln that conversation we were told that defendant already was in the process —
last week —- of finding litigation counsel in Delaware.
Respectfully submitted,
M/MM (/mj 7%,,9,./4{iz/%r#4¢%F‘i)
ohn W. Shaw (#3362)
JWS/prt
cc; Clerk of the Court (by hand delivery and CM/ECF)
The Ameris Group LLC (by hand delivery)
Frederick L. Vlfhitmer, Esquire (by e-mail)
oaorsiszsvai 06482UOm